Day 1: The tour begins this evening in Yerevan. Night in Yerevan.

Days 2-4: We’ll begin with a visit to the world famous Armash Fishponds. It provides an excellent introduction to the more common species found in the country as well as a number of specialties including White-headed Duck and Marbled Duck present, and it’s an excellent area for all the European herons, both Great and Little Bittern, various grebes, Pygmy Cormorant, White-winged Tern, and White Stork among others. Large groups of Rosy Starlings should be present and shorebirds such as White-tailed and Spur-winged Lapwings now breed at the site. Other species of note could include Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, Bearded Reedling, Turkestan Short-toed Lark, and Moustached, Paddyfield, and Menetries’s Warblers. 

In the afternoon of day two we’ll explore the Uranots Gorge whose dry, rocky canyons hold a special collection of birds including Upcher’s and Eastern Orphean Warblers, Eastern Rock Nuthatch, Rufous-tailed Scrub and White-throated Robins, Blue Rock Thrush, four species of wheatear, Crimson-winged Finch, Fire-fronted Serin, and Black-headed and Grey-necked Buntings. We also may get the chance to observe the rare Trumpeter Finch with an outside chance of a late migrating Pale Rockfinch. Night in Chiva. 

On day 3 we’ll visit the Vedi Gorge area which will give us a second chance for many of the species from yesterday plus potential new additions such as Egyptian Vulture, Long-legged Buzzard and the rare Saker Falcon. 

We’ll make an early start on day 4 for our four-wheel drive ascent of Mount Gndasar where we’ll hope for high altitude specialists like Caspian Snowcock, Alpine and Red-billed Choughs, Ring Ouzel, Bearded Vulture, and Golden Eagle. 

In the afternoon we’ll visit the 13th century Novarank Monastery. This stunning area is home to Bezoar Ibex, Caucasian Brown Bear, and Eurasian Lynx. Overhead Golden Eagles soar over the ancient landscape while other birds found here include Chukar, Syrian Woodpecker, three species of shrike, both Western and Eastern Rock Nuthatches, Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush and possibly Red-tailed Wheatear and Red-fronted Serin. Nights in Chiva.

Day 5: We’ll head east across the Sisian Plateau, an ancient volcanic region full of archaeological sites and home to both Rock Nuthatches plus several Wheatear species. Isolated alpine villages and flowering meadows support species like Eurasian Hoopoe, Fire-fronted Serin, Whinchat, Black Redstart, and Crimson-winged Finch. 

One key site on our travels today will be Zedea Gorge. The rolling hills and valleys here are home to both Eastern and Western Rock Nuthatch, Eastern Black-eared and Finsch’s Wheatears, Upcher’s Warbler, Black-headed Bunting, White-throated Robin, Short-toed Snake-Eagle, Syrian Woodpecker, and Eastern Orphean Warbler, among others. Night in Goris.

Days 6-7: On day 6 we’ll travel to the southern limit of Armenia, a remote part of the country with ancient landscapes providing a memorable backdrop for our birding. Our stops should give us Eurasian Griffon, Common Redstart, Fire-fronted Serin, Bearded Vulture, Golden Eagle, and even migrants such as Booted Eagle, Lesser Spotted Eagle, Black-headed Bunting, Red-backed Shrike, Eurasian Golden Oriole, and perhaps something rarer like the striking Green Warbler. 

On day 7 we’ll explore the dry gorges on the southern border of Armenia. The most famous of which is Meghri Gorge, home to many common species but some big targets such as Blue Rock-Thrush, Finsch’s Wheatear, Long-legged Buzzard, Levant Sparrowhawk, Sombre Tit, and Persian Wheatear. 

We’ll also explore some nearby gorges where we hope to connect with Eastern Rock Nuthatch, European Bee-eater, Gray-necked Bunting, and perhaps late migrants such as Upcher’s and Menetries’s Warblers, or Eastern Black-eared Wheatear. 

However, the star of this area is the striking Black Francolin. The Caucasian population of this species is cut off from its main populations, making it a prime target due to its restricted range in the Western Palearctic. Nights in Meghri.

Day 8: We’ll head to the eastern edge of Armenia and Arevik National Park. Large swathes of evergreen broadleaf and light juniper forest are home to our main target, the Sombre Tit. However, many other forest species, both resident and migratory, and high-altitude species can be found including Caspian Snowcock, Bearded Vulture, European Roller, Rufous-tailed Rock-Thrush, Radde’s Accentor, Mountain Chiffchaff, Fire-fronted Serin, Common Rosefinch, and Rock Bunting. Night in Goris.

Day 9: We’ll drive west with our first stop at a 9th century Tatev Monastery. The dramatic scenery here is shrouded in a Shiblyak and Oak-hornbeam Forest with dense green meadows dotted in between. We’ll then visit the Halidzor Observation Deck where our focus will be soaring raptors. Various vultures and eagles including Lesser Spotted Eagle, can be found here while overhead we’ll certainly detect the giant and highly vocal Alpine Swift. We’ll conclude the day with a visit to a colony of Lesser Kestrel. Night near Arpi.

Day 10: Before breakfast we’ll visit a small private terrace, which overlooks a ravine and our best chance of spotting Caucasian Brown Bear and Bezoar Ibex. Later, on our way to Lake Sevan, we’ll pause at Selim Pass, an important trading route during the peak of the great Silk Road. Upland species along the route could include White-winged Snowfinch, Crimson-winged Finch, Twite, and Common Rock Thrush. We’ll also stop at a traditional shepherd’s village which should have good numbers of Black-headed Wagtail (subspecies feldegg) and our first chance of Bluethroat and Radde’s Accentor. Later in the day we’ll visit Lake Sevan, home to the world’s largest Armenian Gull colony where we may also find the striking Collared Pratincole, Cetti’s Warbler, and many other passerines. Night in Sevan.

Days 11-12: We begin day 11 with an early morning visit to Lake Sevan to hopefully encounter species we missed yesterday. We’ll then head west to Dilijan National Park. This beautiful mixed forest is home to key targets species like Mountain Chiffchaff, Green Warbler, and Red-breasted Flycatcher but is also a great area to find many other enticing forest species including Common Quail, Common Cuckoo, Greater Spotted and Eurasian Green Woodpeckers Red-backed Shrike, Eurasian Jay, Common Redstart, Eurasian Nuthatch, Hawfinch, Eurasian Bullfinch, and even raptors like Eurasian Goshawk and Long-legged Buzzard. 

We’ll devote day 12 to exploring Arpi Lake, one of many high alpine lakes in the volcanic plateau situated between Turkey and Georgia. We’ll look especially for Ruddy Shelduck, both Great White and Dalmatian Pelicans, Western Marsh and Montagu’s Harriers, Long-legged Buzzard, Corn Crake, Common Quail, and a variety of warblers, larks, pipits, and wagtails, including the brilliant Citrine Wagtail. Perhaps the most iconic bird here is the archibaldi subspecies of Common Crane, known as Transcaucasian Common Crane, a sub species whose world population totals less than 500 individuals. If time permits, we’ll also visit the ancient center of Gyumri which features fascinating architecture. Nights in Gyumri.

Day 13: We’ll return to the capital city, birding on the way. We’ll explore open farmland for Bimaculated Lark, and a visit to Mount Aragats should give us White-throated Robin, Siberian Stonechat (the variegatus subspecies commonly known as South Caspian Stonechat), and Woodlark. Raptors here could include Common Buzzard, Booted and Short-toed Snake Eagles, and Bearded Vulture. A little higher up we’ll find Radde’s Accentor, Bluethroat (of the Caucasian subspecies Magna), Common Rock Thrush, and Ring Ouzel before heading to the high alpine boulder fields where abundant Horned Lark, Water Pipit, Alpine Accentor, Black Redstart, and Twite can be found. All of these represent subspecies only found in the Caucasus region. With great good luck we might come across the striking Asian Crimson-winged Finch. Finally, and If time permits, we’ll visit the 10th century Amberd Fortress. Nights in Yerevan.

Day 14: Tour ends this morning in Yerevan.